LAUNCESTON aldermen are being lobbied strongly before Tuesday’s council meeting, in which they will vote on a motion to support marriage equality.
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Alderman Emma Williams will put forward a motion for the Launceston City Council to support marriage equality, write to Tasmania’s federal politicians advising them of its support and write to all political parties with representation in Federal Parliament to encourage debate on changing the Marriage Act and allowing a conscience vote on marriage equality.
Yesterday afternoon most aldermen were yet to decide their vote, although Mayor Albert van Zetten said that he would not support the motion based on his personal beliefs.
Alderman Williams said she had asked herself if it was appropriate for a local government to vote on a federal issue, and she felt strongly that it was.
‘‘We obviously lobby very strongly on behalf of our community at both state and federal government levels for projects for funding, for health, for safety, for traffic management and a whole range of issues – so really, this is no different,’’ Alderman Williams said.
‘‘It does not just have a social impact but it’s also the health and wellbeing impact, and quite significant and devastating results for mental health and the lives and livelihoods of some of our most precious young people.’’
However, Deputy Mayor Rob Soward said he had been lobbied significantly in the days since the council agenda was published, and he was getting a ‘‘really strong message’’ that marriage equality wasn’t a local government issue.
Alderman Soward, whose vote is undecided, said he also heard concerns that the council did not have detailed reports or surveys and had not done enough consultation to know how Launceston residents felt about the issue.
‘‘The people that have spoken to me about it have only been aware of it since it came up on the council online agenda on Thursday,’’ he said.
‘‘We do get criticised sometimes for perhaps not being consultative enough, but, like I said, I haven’t seen any data anywhere that a certain per cent of our community support marriage equality.’’
Alderman van Zetten said he didn’t feel it was a local government matter, and the council hadn’t yet canvassed how ratepayers felt.
‘‘I’m a great believer in God and I believe in marriage as ordained by God, but as to what the public think, I really don’t know,’’ he said.
Alderman Williams said nothing was certain, but she knew that there was support for the motion. She had received a lot of emails on the issue, and expected to receive many more as public awareness of the motion grew.